Confront Parental Ambivalence It can be very ficult to entrust someone new with the care of ‘your child, but make sure you're not passing those feelings of stress onto your kid. Your anxiety may add to theirs Begin with « Warm-Up Prior to the first day of ‘school, give your child some opportunities to get more familiar with their new environment by driving by the school and/or taking a tour. Stay Connected Find small ways to reassure your Child and make them feel loved throughout their day by packing them love notes, drawings, stickers, pictures, or special objects in their lunch, backpack or pockets. Create special goodbye or hello rituals that make them feel special Read There are a variety of children's books to help get kids excited about school. A few popular options are The kissing Hand by Audrey Penn, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin dr. and Pete the Cat Rocking my School Shoes by Eric Litwinysal lie ‘eg SELE- CARE int cool peal nde greater pnt rah IEF os eras re ‘some important self-care skills kids will likely need. Tieing Shoes with Minimum Support Tipping/Butioning/Snapping Clothing Taking Jacket On and Off Following Classroom Clean-Up Routines Using Basic Table Manners 4 Coughing in a Way to Prevent the Spread of Germs Using a Tissue to Blow Their Nose Independently \ Using Proper Bathroom Etiquette (Self-Cleaning, Cleaning Up After Themselves, Washing Hands Thoroughly) ‘Asking for Help When Needed >, RE SEPARATION ANXIETY ci Horton wage pe eg. we Oe bbb * ADDITIONAL TIPS FOR PARENTS Gel Involved Attend back to school night, and porent teacher conferences and take the time to leam about expectations for your students. Communicate initiate communication with the teacher if you have questions or concems and respond to communications from the teacher, Inform Keep your child's teacher informed about things going on at home that may affect their behavior. Set Goals Help your child set goals and work towards them throughout the year. Contribute Help out when you can, either by Yolunteering or donating needed supplies. Schedule Developing a schedule for your child {and sticking to it helps ensure they can complete all homework, get plenty of sleep, and have a balanced life overall. Designate a Workspace Providing a aistrac- fion-free space will help make homework time go smoother. ‘Ask Questions Tak to your child to help gain their perspective about school. Meet Face-to-Face Schedule a face-to-face meeting whenever possible to resolve issues. Be Prepared Bring notes of your questions and Concemsto teacher meetings to help you remember signs-sympioms/aca esforkindergarten He http://www pbs.ora/r vico/2015/09/nelp- Ing-preschaolers cope: KINDER READINESS A Comprehensive Parent’s Guide to Preparing Their Child for SchoolINTRODUCTION When children and families embark on the adventure of their first tine in school, whether itis preschool, TK or kindergarten, come may feel excited, nervous or both Preparing your child for sohool oan help ease this transition. Helping your ohid learn the academic pieces suoh a letter recognition, counting, color and shape identfleaton i just a8 equally mportant ac helping them develop thei social ‘and emotional skin hi guide, you wil digcover many ‘components of school readiness, resources, and various ways to help your ehid transition to school (Bardeok & Obradovie, 2017). LITERACY Reading is one of the most important skille your children wll work on in kindergarten. The following are great ways to help them propare. , = Books Help your child become as familiar as i LANGUAGE (continued) Vocabulary Continue to integrate increasingly Complex words to give your child the vocabulary, and lean how to more effectively express themselves. Ground Rules Help teach your cfiid the basic rules of communicating such gs appropriate volume, tone and flow of conversation. Reinforce taking turns, istening and being aware of their voice. Complete Sentences Always encourage the Use of complete sentences over simple fragments Following Directions Practice relaying two and three step directions for your children to follow. MATH Ws never too early fo start teaching your ohildren the building blooks of mathematics. Lizied below are some base skill to help prepare them for school. Counting Help your child master counting from 1 to 10 without skipping numbers. Matching Work on your child's ability to match they can with books by reading to them often, teaching them how to find the fist page of a book, and which way they should flip through it. Letters Practice the alshabet with your child so ‘they learn fo recite it by memory and identity, most letters, ‘Sounds Help teach your child about the different sounds letters make and the concept of rhyming, so they can begin to recognize theseon ther own as "|see three cats and four dogs.” Recognition Familiarize your child with any many letters, colors, pictures, logos and signs to help ‘your child recognize these on their own. angle More & Less Help your child understand the Concept of more than and less than, Expression Practice drawing lo express an ideo E : ee ea Arranging Practice arranging three picture Cards or objects in the correct order (such as from smallest to biggest) MOTOR SKILLS LANGUAGE Learning to communicate effectively willbe integral in your chills aoademie and overall development. Seting the ‘groundwork prior to school i key. Cok Engaging in Conversation Help your child pe scare io ra ier develop the skils to initiate and continue back Bad ehvetversation’ laundry. Here are come other sills they will need as they enter school (Green & Sowilowsky, 2018). PRGE3 ml a Wz wu opportunity fo practice branching oul with their @- number fo a group of five or fewer items such Shapes Practice naming and recognizing basic shapes such as square, circle, triangle and rect- Both ine and gross motor skile provide a strong foundation ‘motor skile everyday suoh as brushing their teeth or folding FINE + Controling a Pencil or Marker to Moke Lines and Altempt fo Make Letter Correctiy Using Scissors Copying Basic Shapes and Patterns + Manipulating Dough into a Baill or Figure 1 Completing a Simple Puzzle % Folding Paper in Half GROSS Ye Running + Jumping with Feet Together | Hopping on One Foot 4 Climbing Stairs | Bouncing and Tying to Catch Ball 1% Moving Body to Anticipate Thrown Ball & Maintaining Balance + Doing Simple Exercises SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT The abitiy to get along with their olassmates and make friends willbe key in your childs social development. At this _tage, your kid will benefit greatly from practing the following skils (Wene-Gross et al, 2018). 1% Maintaining Attention for Extended Time. + Using Manner Words (Please, Thank You 8 Excuse Me) ‘ Having Patience & Waiting for Your Turn + Labeling Emotions in Self & Others + Adjusting to Changes in Schedule + Attempting to Manage Peer Conflict + Regulating Emotions and Learning How to Calm Down When Anary or Upset + Respecting Personal Space of Peers PAGE 4